DAVIS, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Water Polo team hit the road northwards for their first away game of Big West play. No. 7 UC Davis, put up a tough fight, but ultimately bested the Gauchos, 10-8, after a Santa Barbara comeback attempt. 

FROM HEAD COACH WOLF WIGO
"We missed a lot of opportunities early and dug a big hole," Wigo said. "I was proud of the defense the second half and the way we battled back. Our power play has really improved and we are excited to play them in the conference tournament."

HOW IT HAPPENED
UC Davis came out of the gates with a strong showing early. The first quarter ended with three points for the Aggies to Santa Barbara's one. The second quarter followed similarly, as Davis added three more points to their count, leaving the halftime score at 6-1. However, the Gauchos would not go down without a fight. Santa Barbara's Brock Zamanian, Dash McFarland, and Leo Ohannessian each knocked out a goal in the third quarter, while a concentrated team defensive effort kept the Aggies down to scoring only one point in the quarter.. The final quarter saw the scoreboard numbers climb for the Gauchos, as four more points were scored on the comeback effort. However, Santa Barbara's efforts were just shy of victory, ending in a 10-8 win for the home team, UC Davis. 

UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara will hit the water at noon on Sunday, October 15 for their matchup with Pacific at the Douglass M. Eberhart Aquatics Center in Stockton. The match will be live on ESPN+ with live stats available through ucsbgauchos.com.